1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Welcomed Aaron Manky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of I 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is full 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: all of these amazing tales are right there on display, 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. When we look back on the most impressive 7 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 1: feats of human engineering, we don't often think about what 8 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: went into making them possible. The Apollo eleven mission that 9 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: put Americans on the Moon back in nineteen sixty nine 10 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: took years of planning, development and testing. The Eiffel Tower 11 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 1: in France took over two years to build, while the 12 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: Statue of Liberty was completed after eight years of construction. 13 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: Greatness takes time. Unfortunately, the Swedish Royal Navy probably should 14 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: have baked one particular project just a little bit longer. 15 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: Modern Sweden is a country we often equate with neutrality 16 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: when it comes to political matters. They didn't take a 17 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 1: side during either World War, although there were times when 18 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:20,320 Speaker 1: they made strategic policy and financial decisions when it benefited them. However, 19 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: back in the seventeenth century, Sweden was a formidable European empire. 20 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: It won many wars against countries like Poland and Russia, 21 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: thanks in large part to its ruler, King Gustavus Adolphus. 22 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: He reigned for twenty years, and for much of that 23 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,119 Speaker 1: time he was at war. Heck, his father left him 24 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: three wars already in progress when he passed away in 25 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: sixteen eleven, pretty rough for a fresh seventeen year old. 26 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: Ascending to the throne around January of six to honor 27 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: Sweden's militaristic might, the king ordered the construction of some 28 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: new ships. A contract was signed with shipbuilders in Stockholm 29 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: to build a total of four ships, two with keel's 30 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: measuring one eight feet in length and two measuring one 31 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: hundred thirty five feet. Unfortunately, despite the contract, the king 32 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 1: couldn't make up his mind. He kept changing his order 33 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: and the ship builders ran into production problems because of that. 34 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: On top of that, the Swedish Navy lost ten ships 35 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: that year, meaning the original timeline had shrunk. The plan 36 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: was to start building two ships of a completely different size, 37 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 1: with keels now one twenty feet in length. Sadly, that 38 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: plan lasted only a short time until the king got 39 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,799 Speaker 1: wind of Denmark's latest addition to their fleet. It seems 40 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: they were working on a ship with two gun decks, 41 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: unheard of in Sweden, but the king didn't care. He 42 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: couldn't go to war with a lesser ship, so he 43 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: forced the one ft vessel to be built with two 44 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: gun decks instead of one as originally planned. The ship builder, 45 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: Henrik Hybertson, said it couldn't be done. Then, he had 46 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: already prepared the lumber to build one large and one 47 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: small ship, and he was growing sicker by the day. 48 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: Hendrik died in seven, two years after the project had started, 49 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: but before he could see his creation in the water. 50 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: The work was then passed down to a colleague who 51 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: followed the king's orders. He doubled the size of the 52 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: gun deck, as well as the number of cannons on board, 53 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: from thirty six to almost seventy, and then he carved 54 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: numerous wooden ornaments like sculptures of soldiers, lions, crests, and 55 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 1: filigrees to adorn the ship. This not only extended the 56 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: construction schedule, but it also increased the ship's weight. Unfortunately, 57 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: due to the frenetic nature of its construction and the 58 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: untimely death of the ship's designer. It was believed that 59 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: no formal plans had ever been drafted. Henrik Hybertson most 60 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: likely increased the dimensions of the original ship in his mind, 61 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: but didn't write anything down, and it was a recipe 62 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: for a disaster. By the time it was completed in 63 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: sixty eight, the ship, dubbed the Vassa, was a force 64 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: to be reckoned with. It had been named after the 65 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: royal house from which the king had descended, and was 66 00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: intended to carry three hundred soldiers into battle. August tenth 67 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: of sixty eight was the Big Day, the day that 68 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: Sweden and her enemies would see the future of naval 69 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: warfare in all its glory. The itinerary had the Vassa 70 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: carrying the small crew and honored guests from Stockholm Harbor 71 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: to a fortress nearby. After the guests were dropped off, 72 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: the ship would then travel to an island where it 73 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: would defend the Swedish Naval Reserve from Poland Lithuania. But 74 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: the trip was cut short by a lot. Minutes after 75 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,040 Speaker 1: it touched the water, a strong wind caused the Vasa 76 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: to lean dangerously to port. A second gust knocked the 77 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 1: ship entirely over causing the lower gun decks to flood. 78 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 1: The Vassa wasn't able to recover, and twenty minutes later 79 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: it was completely underwater, taking thirty lives with it. Amazingly, 80 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 1: the ship was finally recovered in the nineteen sixties and 81 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: has since become the main attraction of a museum in 82 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 1: Sweden thanks to its remarkable state of preservation, and it's 83 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 1: also become a cautionary tale for business owners, entrepreneurs and 84 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: leaders everywhere who can learn a hard lesson from the 85 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: Vasa's demise that executive meddling can often sink ships. Kids 86 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: do stupid things growing up. They get together with their 87 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: friends and ride bikes without their helmets on, or light 88 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: fireworks in the street, or, in the case of one 89 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: time traveling teen, grab onto a passing car while writing 90 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:35,280 Speaker 1: a skateboard. And such actions have led to a question. 91 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 1: We've all been asked at one point or another, if 92 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do 93 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: it too? Well, Robert Emmett Oddlum didn't jump off a 94 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: bridge because of his friends, and he didn't do it 95 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 1: to impress someone he was attracted to. He did it 96 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:53,720 Speaker 1: to prove a point. Robert was born in Ogdensburg, New York, 97 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,839 Speaker 1: in August of eighteen fifty one. His brother had served 98 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: in the Union Army during the Civil War, and his sister, 99 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: shar At Oddlam Smith, was an activist for women in 100 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: the workplace. She also helped establish the practice of including 101 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: ingredients on product labels. Robert aspired to similar success as 102 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: his siblings, heading down to Washington, d c. In eighteen 103 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 1: seventy eight to start a swimming school. Among his pupils 104 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: were the children of politicians in generals, such as the 105 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:24,920 Speaker 1: soon to be president James Garfield and Union General William T. Sherman. 106 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: His school did well for a while, and Robert helped 107 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:30,359 Speaker 1: get the word out by performing athletic feats in the 108 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: Potomac River. He once swam a rowing course all by himself, 109 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: and he often challenged others to swimming races, betting as 110 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,720 Speaker 1: much as five hundred dollars at a time. No one 111 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 1: ever took him up on the bet, but it didn't 112 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:45,920 Speaker 1: stop Robert from showing off his skills. He once held 113 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: his breath underwater for over three minutes and even jumped 114 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: ninety feet from a bridge at Occoquan Falls in Virginia. 115 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: He became known for jumping from tall heights, plunging feet 116 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: first into the Potomac from his high as a hundred 117 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 1: feet above, and he did it without sustaining a single injury. 118 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:07,280 Speaker 1: Of course, Robert was never satisfied. Eventually, his swim school 119 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: sank and he got a job as a lifeguard and 120 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: swim instructor at a Virginia hotel. But despite the setback, 121 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: he continued to perform feats of endurance, such as an 122 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: eighteen miles swim between the towns of Old Point, Comforts 123 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: and Ocean View. And yet, no matter how far he swam, 124 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: nor how high he jumped from, he still desired to 125 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,679 Speaker 1: leave his mark on the world in a big way. Sure, 126 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 1: he was gaining fame for his various stunts, but he 127 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: wanted to make a splash, and that opportunity finally arrived 128 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: on May nineteenth of eight five. You see, Robert wanted 129 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 1: to be the first person to jump off the recently 130 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: completed Brooklyn Bridge in New York, a one thirty ft 131 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: drop into the East River. News of the jump spread 132 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: throughout the city in the days leading up to it. 133 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: He gave an interview for the New York Herald about 134 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 1: his reason for wanting to perform such a dangerous feat, 135 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: saying that he want to demonstrate something he had been 136 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: explaining to people for years. No one who jumps from 137 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: tall heights dies during the fall. He hoped that anyone 138 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 1: who witnessed his leap from the Brooklyn Bridge would know 139 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: how safe it was, for example, to jump into a 140 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: firefighter's net from the roof of a burning building. Well, 141 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: the day finally arrived and the police were out in 142 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: full force. They refused to allow Robert to perform his jump, 143 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: even though thousands of New Yorkers had arrived on the 144 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: bridge to watch it happen. They set up a checkpoint 145 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: and inspected every carriage crossing the bridge in hopes of 146 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: catching him before he could jump. The cops stopped one 147 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 1: particular cab on the bridge, then asked the person inside 148 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: about their reason for being there. The man said that 149 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: he planned to jump into the river without any issue. 150 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 1: The police had caught their man, or so they thought. 151 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: Several hundred feet behind that carriage was another one with 152 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: the real Robert inside. He snuck himself out onto the 153 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: railing while the officers were distracted and prepared for his death. 154 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: To find leap, he raised one arm over his head 155 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: to act as a rudder during his drop, and then 156 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: he stepped off the bridge. The cops tried to stop him, 157 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 1: of course, but they couldn't catch him in time. The 158 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: fall only took a few seconds. Robert was okay for 159 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 1: the first hundred feet, but then his body tilted a bit. 160 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 1: He didn't land feet first as he planned. He landed 161 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:21,959 Speaker 1: on his right side, and after he slipped below the water, 162 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: his body pop back up face down. A rescue team 163 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: quickly pulled him out, and things looked grim. He wasn't moving. 164 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: Then after some time Robert came to. He asked if 165 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: the jump was okay, and the people looking after him 166 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: said he had done well. Sadly, it had gone worse 167 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: than he had thought. His body had suffered serious internal injuries, 168 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: and as blood spurted from his mouth, the rescue boat 169 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 1: sped towards land, after which an ambulance was called, but 170 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: it was too late. He was dead within the hour. 171 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: Robert Emmett ODDLM went down in history. Though as having 172 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 1: been proven right all along, it is rarely the drop 173 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: that kills you. It just seems that he forgot about 174 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: the landing. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of 175 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, 176 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast 177 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:21,719 Speaker 1: dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Mankey 178 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 1: in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award 179 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, 180 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: and television show, and you can learn all about it 181 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 1: over at the World of Lore dot com. And until 182 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:37,199 Speaker 1: next time, stay curious.